9/11 fund makes 1st payments to sick responders

FILE - This Dec. 20, 2012 file photo shows Tina Fey, left, and her husband Jeff Richmond at the "30 Rock" farewell wrap party in New York. After seven seasons, "30 Rock" airs its series conclusion Thursday at 8 p.m. EST on NBC. Fey serves as star, writer and creator of the series and Richmond is executive producer and the composer and arranger for the show. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, file)

This undated image released by NBC shows James Marsden as Criss, right, and Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in a scene from "30 Rock." The characters will wed on the “30 Rock” episode that airs Nov. 29. (AP Photo/NBC, Ali Goldstein)

This image released by NBC shows a mock save-the-date announcement for fictional characters Liz Lemon and Criss Chross from the NBC comedy series "30 Rock." Characters Lemon, played by Tina Fey, and Criss, played by James Marsden will marry on an episode of the show airing Nov. 29. (AP Photo/NBC)

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NEW YORK (AP) — A special fund set up by Congress is making its first payments to people who got sick after being exposed to toxic dust at the World Trade Center following Sept. 11.

A group of 15 first responders with respiratory problems will be the first to get awards from the 9/11 victim compensation fund.

Their payouts range from $10,000 to $1.5 million.

It will be years, though, before the group sees all that money.

Officials don't yet know how many people will apply for aid from the $2.78 billion fund, or the severity of their illnesses.

That means they can't yet calculate each person's share.

So for now, applicants are getting only 10 percent of their award.

The remainder won't be paid until after the fund closes to new applicants in 2016.